Vehicle axle-bearing and hub



(Nn Model.) 2 sheets-sheet 1."

A. E. BAIN. VEHICLE AXLE BEARING AND HUB.

No. 573,394. 4 Patented Dec. 15, 1896.

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(No Model.) 2 sheets-sheet 2.

4 A! El VBHIGLB AXLE BEARING AND HUB.

' No. 573,394. Patented Dec. 15,1896.

Prion.

ALBERT E. DAIN, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

VEHICLE AxLE-BEARING AND HUB.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 573,394, dated December15, 1896. Application filed September 28,1896. Serial No. 607,125. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT E. DAIN, a citizen of the United States7residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inVehicle Hubs and Axle-Bearings; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such aswill-enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make anduse the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, whichform a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 indicates atransverse vertical section of my improved bearing and pneumatic hub forvehicle-wheels. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the left side of the same.Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line :n n". of Fig. l. Fig. 4 is anelevation of the right side, partly in section.

My invention relatesto hubs and bearings for vehicle-wheels, and isespecially adapted to use on velocipedes and bicycles.

The object of my invention is to produce a hub and bearing in which apneumatic bearing is interposed between the spoke-section and mainsection of the same, whereby such resiliency is obtained as to enablethe use of a pneumatic tire of great thickness, comparatively, wherebythe danger of puncture will be largely reduced, or to entirely dispensewith the pneumatic tire and to substitute therefor a solid-rubber tire,which will entirely obviate the bad results occasioned by puncturing theordinary tire. To this purpose my invention consists in the novelconstruction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described andspecifically claimed.

Referring to said drawings, A is a stationary axle the ends of which arerespectively secured in the lower ends of the fork B, or, as shown inthe drawings, in the large plate B', terminating in the ends of saidfork.

X is a hub revolubly mounted on said axle on the ball-bearings a a, theupper set of said ball-bearings impinging upon the outer periphery ofthc revoluble antifriction-ring Z7, and the lower set of ball-bearingsiinpinging upon the inner surface of said antifrictionring and outersurface of said axle, said bearings being secured within theball-bearing cups c and c', respectively, c forming the part of theright side thereof.

left side of the hub, and c forming the major Said cups c and c' areprovided with screw-threads to engage corresponding threads upon theinner annular surface `of the annular plate C, said plate being incross-section convex and on one side provided with a projection orflanged.

E is an annular plate having projections or flanges e e around the edgesof the same, adapted to be seated neatly between. the projecting flangesof the plate C and the upper edges of the cup c', said annular plate Ebeingin cross-section concavo, whereby a chainberl concave-convex isformed when said plates are adjusted, in which a pneumatic tube H isseated, a valve h being connected thereto, whereby said tube may beinflated.

It is observed that the iianges around the edges of the annular plate Eare shorter than the depth of the sides of the chamber formed by theadjustment or arrangement of the two annular plates C and E, as shown inFig. l, so that said annular plate E, in the upper or outer surface ofwhich the lower end of the spokes f f are secured, is enabled to move inthe annular recess formed between the iianges or projections on theannular place C and the upper edges of the cup c accordingly as theiniiatable tube His distended by air-pressure, whereby the spoke-sectionof the hub is supported upon the pneumatic bearing for the purpose, asbefore stated, of producing an easy-riding wheel, a pneumatic tirethereon being dispensed with.

g is a cap having on the inner face of the same a socket internallyscrew-threaded to engage a correspondingly-threaded project-` ingportion of the cap c. The outerperiphery of the cap gis provided withsprocket-wheel t'.

7e and Z are, respectively, nuts for the purpose of securing the axlerigidly to the plate forming the lower end of the fork, said nut l alsoserving as a step for the purpose of mounting the wheel.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, 1s

l. In a combined pneumatic hub and axlebearing, the combination of theinflatable tube seated between two concavo-convex plates, the upper oneof which is capable of distentioh by the pressure of the tube, and

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a series of ball-bearings,having a revoluble antifrietion e ringinterposed between the saine, substantially as described.

2. In a combined pneumatic hub and aXlebearing, the combination of twoconeavo- Convex plates, one of which is provided with flanges on bothsides, the other with a ilange on one side thereof; an inflatable tubeinterposed between said plates; a series of ballbearings, and arevoluble antifrietion-ring interposed between said bearings,substantially as described.

3. The combination of a hub revolubly mounted on an axle, having twoannular coneavo-eonveX plates, one of which is provided with flanges onboth sides, and the other with flanges on one side thereof; aninflatable tube interposed between said plates; a series ofball-bearingsg a revoluble antifrietion ring interposed between saidbearings, and oups for said bearings connected to the inner annulareoneavo plate, substantially as deseribed.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I hereunto affix my signaturethis 24th day of September, A. D. 1896.

ALBERT E. DAIN. [n s] In presence 0f- J os. T. HoeHsWENDER, O. A.WILLIAMS.

